


Lily

by KhadaVengean



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Post-Canon, Revelations, Second Names, Self-Indulgent, don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KhadaVengean/pseuds/KhadaVengean
Summary: When Byleth meets an old acquintance of her parents, she finds out something that her father has always kept away from her.(AKA. Byleth gets a second name)
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Jeralt Reus Eisner/My Unit | Byleth's Mother
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	Lily

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely self indulgent. I wrote this only for my own weird joy because I love second names. My whole family has second names and I guess I have too much fun to name characters. Whoops.
> 
> Can't excuse this. Hope you can enjoy this and any kind of criticism is appreciated. 
> 
> English is not my first language. Please be aware of that. 
> 
> If anyone is interested in my story ideas, you can find me on [tumblr](https://khadavengean.tumblr.com/).

Byleth Blaiddyd.

Former mercenary under the command of Jeralt Reus Eisner, also known as the Blade Breaker and captain of the knights of Seiros. She was the Ashen Demon, a warrior with talent and strength nearly uncomprehending and a face that betrayed absolutely no emotions. Her skills with the sword were hailed legendary through the lands they’ve traveled and even her beauty was only a whisper between the men who wished to know her better.

Former professor at the officer’s academy. Tutor of the blue Lion house. She was the reason why the heads of the current noble houses were such well taught warriors. Both fighting and teaching seemed to go easy of her hand and she was both loved and admired by her students, respect and acceptance in her lines.

Five years after this period of time, she rose as a general. By the side of the prince, she fought against the empire and was next to the forces’ leader the most valuable asset. For every campaign they started, the enemy needed way more soldiers than for the average. Soldiers mumbled about the synchronicity in which she fought with the ruler of Faerghus by her side – there was no enemy they couldn’t defeat and both lance and sword were too fast to comprehend. The sword of the creator and Arredhbar.

She bore the crest of Nemesis, the king of Liberation. Unknowing souls spoke how she may be his descendant and others feared her power even more.

The war ended in their favor. The hero of the Fódlan war, hailed as a warrior and accepting the people’s gratitude with a modest attitude.

As the ruler of the church, she accepted the tiara put down by Seteth’s hands and by Rhea’s order. In contrast to her former alias as a mercenary, she became known as a kind and benevolent archbishop, trying to rule with an equal and kind hand and doing her very best to kindle the relationship to both the western and the eastern church, trying to unite the religious aspect in Fodlan under one banner.

She put down her maiden name, having accepted her husband’s last name and became Byleth Blaiddyd. Wife to the Savior King, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, queen of the United Kingdom of Faerghus. A devoted ruler and closest companion to the king, who looked at her in nothing but pure adoration and affection. The smiles they exchanged when they looked at each other spoke a language that was both obvious to decipher and only theirs to speak.

And two years after the war’s bloodshed, she gave birth to the first prince of the Kingdom. She combined both her and the king’s fathers names and her son bore them like a true prince. Lambert Jeralt Blaiddyd, crown prince of the holy Kingdom of Faerghus and son to Dimitri Alexandre and Byleth.

To call for her son and hearing his second name hurt a little bit less every single day.

* * *

“My, what a sweet boy.”

Byleth’s eyes sharpened for a moment, but she chided herself. Old habits from the war die hard and she still was as cautious as ever. Especially ever since her son was born, she became similar to a lioness – looking for a cub, especially when strangers were nearby. It didn’t help that Dimitri was similar to her, if not even worse.

The thought of her husband let her smile. Even though both of them were staying at Garreg Mach right now, he couldn’t join her for her walk to the dome to speak with the nuns and cardinals.

“Are you okay?”

A coarse laugh from an old woman, the wrinkles around her eyes intensifying, deep valleys in her skin. “I’m just a little bit tired, little one. That’s all.” She tilted her head at the prince, her voice hacking in between. “The way to the cathedral is very long and my legs aren’t strong enough anymore to carry me there.”

Her son blinked, Lambert’s green eyes glowing in mysteriously. He seemed to ponder, thought about something, when the sight of his eyes glowing caught her once again off guard. A hand squeezed her heart tenderly and the archbishop let out a small breath, contentment and tranquility lying in her exhale.

“My mommy wanted to go to there. Maybe we can help you.” Lambert looked over his shoulder at her, capturing the attention of the old lady and directing it to her instead. “Mommy, can we help her?”

She smiled. Her son, always so honest and caring, even in his young age. A trait inherited by her husband, without a doubt. “Of course we can,” she replied and for the first time, the lady looked at her. A strange mix of warmth and recognition flooded her eyes and in the same coarse voice she used when speaking to her son, the woman bowed her head a little bit. “If you don’t mind, that is?”

“It’d be utmost honor, your grace.” A cough escaped her, her shoulders shivering beneath a light breeze and Byleth felt how her son latched to her hand, pulling her with him. “I hope I do not bother you too much.”

“There is no need to worry about that. We’ve been on our way to the cathedral anyway.” The archbishop crouched in front of the woman, offering her her right arm. “Besides, shouldn’t it be an archbishop’s duty to make sure that the devout believers of the goddess make it safely to the mess?”

The woman laughed, quietly. With a strength that let Byleth admire her, the old lady grabbed her arm with a wrinkled hand and on her two old feet. “Thank you, your grace.” The woman smiled at her son. “Thank you as well, your highness.”

Her son’s smile was beaming, already skipping ahead to aim for the cathedral. With a small tug, not strong enough to startle the woman, but to alert her to keep on going, the archbishop helped one of Sothis’s devout believers to reach the cathedral. Byleth could already imagine her old friend puffing her cheeks, marking that _‘her name shouldn’t be hailed so much, or else they’d forget what to do on their own.’_

The sun was shining brighter. Caressing her face with a lovely hand. And reminding her that loss was a part of life.

“The goddess truly smiles upon me, your grace.”

A cut through her thoughts, the woman on her right arm spoke so quietly that it was only by chance that she managed to hear it. Byleth tilted her head, the air around them filled with something she couldn’t name or even try to explain.

“My bones have been aching during the last couple of days, binding me to my bed. I truly wished to attend the mess today, especially when I’ve heard that his majesty attends as well.” A smile on her old lips, her wrinkles deepening in a happy glow. “I’ve been a nun at Garreg Mach Monastery for over sixty years. This was my home during this time and to leave it when the war began was maybe one of the most difficult things that happened in my time.” She began to cough all of a sudden and Byleth suddenly noted how _old_ she looked.

She rubbed her back comfortingly, hearing how one of the knights greeted her son with a deep bow and bid her greeting when he passed her.

“Back then, I was hiding in close reach to the monastery. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving this place completely, always hoping to return her one day. They were difficult years.”

Even though the war’s ten year anniversary would be celebrated in two years, the memory was still so fresh and raw in her mind that she couldn’t suppress the sudden bolt of lighting coursing through her veins every time someone spoke about it.

“When the kingdom’s forces reached the monastery, I returned as soon as I could. It was my ray of hope back then, to wish that you end this war and peace finally enters Fódlan again.”

“We wished the same,” Byleth whispered, her voice hidden in her words. The archbishop closed her eyes, the sound of the heels of her boots clacking over the stone floor and her son’s cheerful laughter and voice echoing through the bridge’s space. “Sometimes, I’m still wondering if everything is a dream. When I look at everything around me, when I look how my son grows every day, I’m afraid that I will suddenly wake up from this dream and the war is still continuing.”

Her tongue was lead in her mouth. Byleth didn’t know why she suddenly told this woman all of this. One of her fears and surely, there were some of them. “My apologies.” She cleared her voice. “I did not mean to bother you with my thoughts.”

They continued to walk along the bridge. Silence.

Then a quiet giggle from the woman on her right arm.

“Your grace, you remind me so much of your mother.”

Byleth has expected many things to come. Many words to say. But it wasn’t one of these.

“My… mother?”

“Your mother was a lovely woman. So kind and generous and always helping others.” Her giggling turned to a chuckle. “But there were times when she was so incredibly insecure, not sure what to say or what to do. I’ve known her ever since she was a child, small and precious.”

The thoughts crossed each other, passing only briefly, but one of them remained in her head. “Then… have you known my father as well?”

Her cheerful nostalgic look turned wistful, longing for another time. “I did. Your father was probably the bravest man I’ve ever had the honor to know. A formidable knight and warrior.” Her voice grew quieter. “A husband and father.”

Byleth’s throat was tight. She looked at her son, blonde hair shining like gold in the sun. Her little boy who bore the name of his grandfathers with a smile on his face, his orbs glowing like her own never could.

“I was acquainted with both of them. I’ve observed how their relationship started, their small wedding blessed by the former archbishop and how she carried you under her heart. The sight of her joy and her happiness. It was fleeting.” The woman cleared her throat. “Your mother’s death was a great loss for all of us.”

The flowers lay on her grave was a great testimony to those words.

They reached the cathedral, the words hanging low between them. The knights bowed in front of her, greeting the old lady with a familiarity that let Byleth smile despite the atmosphere and let it even widen when she spotted her husband in the hall, speaking with a knight. Looking proud and regal among the people around him and yet so humble.

She watched how her son picked up the pace and Lambert jumped right into his father’s arms, latching his arms around his neck. Despite the smile on his father’s lips, he quickly hushed his son.

“Lily.”

Another cut through the air between them and Byleth looked at the lady on her right arm. Her eyes were widened and her breath cut short. “Excuse me?”

“Lily. That was the name your mother originally wanted to give you, your grace.” Slowly, the woman peeled her arm away from her hold. Standing without any help on her two feet, so close to their destination let a fire burn in her heart. “Your father named you after his wish, Byleth. My apologies to simply speak out your name like that, but it was an information I’ve wanted to share with you since you rejoined Garreg Mach as a professor so many years ago.”

The sun shone through the high windows and she recognized two golden heads in the corner of her eyes. “As I said: the goddess truly smiles at me. Thank you, your grace. It was both an honor and a joy to speak with you.”

As far as the lady could bend her back to bow at her, she paid her a sign of respect and slowly left her standing in the entrance to the cathedral.

* * *

The sight of her father’s and mother’s name being written on the gravestone suddenly brought another sensation into her wide sea of feelings.

“Byleth Lily Eisner.”

“That’s what she told me.”

A hum echoing from her husband and an arm wrapped around her shoulders. “It certainly gives your name even more beauty, beloved.”

Despite being married to her husband for a couple of years and hearing his compliments, she still couldn’t resist her blush. “When did you become such a charmer?”

“How about you call it a devoting husband?” After Dimitri pressed a kiss against her cheek, she shook her head and leaned her ear against his chest. “May I be blunt, beloved?”

She hummed to signal him to continue.

“I was surprised to find out that you didn’t have a second name, since it’s a Faerghus custom to give their children two names. Captain Jeralt had two names as well, didn’t he?”

He did – Jeralt Reus Eisner. “He always introduced himself as Jeralt, never with his second name. In fact, I only heard it a couple of times in my entire life. Sometimes, I even forgot it.”

“Do you not like it?”

She shook her head, her hair following her moves. “That’s not it. It’s just… what did my father feel to never tell me that I have a second name? Or any other name to begin with?”

“I do not know.” His thumb slowly circled a spot on her upper arm and she lets herself melt in his embrace, closing her eyes. “Maybe the pain was too much for him. If the name was the idea of your mother, maybe he kept it for himself to not think about it? To prevent the memory from resurfacing whenever he looked at you?”

Her breath was shaky, her heartbeat so incredibly slow. And she knew that she’d feel so cold right in that moment.

“If we think about names, I’m glad we have chosen the names of our fathers for our son.” The lone blue eye of her husband looked at her in so much adoration that her shoulders shook. “Maybe both of them will keep an eye him.”

“I hope so,” she whispered underneath her trembling breath and closed her eyes when Dimitri pressed a kiss against her forehead. Slow, loving, warm. A constant reminder that he was here, with her, right in this moment.

“Byleth Lily Blaiddyd. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” His smile was boyish, reminding her of a time when he was still a student and trying to give her the compliments he thought she deserved.

She was happy to know that some things remained the same.

“Oh you.”

She smiled, stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against her husband’s lips. And with the peace and quiet, she accepted her full name in her husband’s arms.


End file.
